Smile | Du Fu (Tang) - The Beautiful Women | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Figure Painting | 100x50cm

Smile | Du Fu (Tang) - The Beautiful Women | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Figure Painting | 100x50cm

Du Fu (Tang) - The Beautiful Women

On the third day of the third month, the weather is fresh; by the waterside of Chang'an, many beautiful women gather. Their manner refined, their expression distant, gentle and true; their skin delicate, their flesh and bones well-proportioned. Embroidered silk robes glow in the late spring, with golden peacocks and silver unicorns. What do they wear on their heads? Kingfisher-feather leaves hanging by their temples. What is seen behind them? Pearls pressing at their waists, perfectly fitted. Among them, those of the cloud-curtain and pepper-room kin—bestowed the titles of Guo and Qin, the great states. Camel hump served from emerald cauldrons, crystal plates bearing raw fish. Rhinoceros-horn chopsticks long sated, not lowered; phoenix knives slice thinly, all in vain. Yellow-gate eunuchs ride swiftly, raising no dust; the imperial kitchen sends one delicacy after another. Flutes and drums mournfully chant, moving gods and spirits; guests and followers crowd the important roads. Then comes a rider, how hesitantly—dismounting before the pavilion, entering the brocade mat. Poplar blossoms fall like snow, covering white duckweed; blue birds fly off, carrying red scarves. So scorching to the touch, their power beyond compare—dare not approach, for the Prime Minister is angry!

Li Zongyi's expressive ink figure painting captures the spirit of classical poetry through bold, spontaneous brushwork. The figures—whether drunkenly reciting, gazing into the distance, or lost in thought—are vividly rendered with dynamic lines and rich ink tones. The painting's generous empty space creates a profound, ethereal atmosphere, blending poetry and painting into a single artistic vision that embodies the depth of Chinese traditional culture and contemporary creative innovation.

Size: 100×50cm (approx. 4.5 square chi) | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Figure Painting

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